Releasing device for the plate-holders of magazine-cameras



No. 749,284. PATENTED JAN. 12, 1904.

J. o. EYEE A@ V. oDQUIsT. l EELEASING DEVICE EOE THE PLATE HOLDERS 0E MAGAZINE CAMERAS.-

APPLIOATION ILED SEPT. l0. 1900.

)I0 MODEL.

y? fwgiw i UNITED STATES Patented January 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

RELEASING DEVICE FOR THE PLATE-HOLDERS OF MAGAZINE-CAMERAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,284, dated January 12, 1904.

Application led September 10, 1900. Serial No. 29,504. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN C. FYFE and VICTOR ODQUIsT, both citizens of the United States, and both residentsof Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Releasing Devices for the Plate-Holders of Magazine-Cameras, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

Heretofore the devices employed for releasing one at a time the sensitive plates with which magazine-cameras are charged from the focal position after exposure have, so far as we are informed, engaged the central portion of the upper edge of the plate-holders in which said plates are contained. This engagement permits under certain accidental conditions which are bound to occur during the use of such apparatus one side edge to advance slightly in front of the plane of the other and sometimes permits the plate-holder to escape the engaging devices altogether.

The object of our invention is to avoid these objections altogether and to insure the forwardmost plate-holder being retained at the focal point of the camera in a position at right angles to the light-rays and after exposure positively released and made to fall forward out of the way of the next following plate. This we accomplish by the means hereinafter fully described, and as particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the releasing devices detached from the camera, showing' the parts thereof in one position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing said parts in the other position. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on dotted line 3 3, Fig. l, lool;- ing in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the finger-grasp and plate for carrying the same. Fig. 5 is a view showing the under side of the same. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the under side of the releasing devices. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the broken-away upper part of the rear end of a camera, showing the location of our improvementstherein.

In the drawings, A represents the rear broken-away portion of the case or box of a dry-plate magazine-camera, and B represents a suitable supporting-plate for the releasing devices, which is secured transversely by suitable screws to the ceiling of the case land retains the operative parts of the invention out of sight in a suitable recessed portion of the top board of the case just above it. The. length of plate Bis such that its ends terminate within a quarter of an inch, say, of the side walls of the case, whichlatter are provided with recesses a, that form continuations of the recess in the ceiling' of the case above plate B. Plate B consists of an oblong strip of sheet metal which at points on each side of its center of length has tongues I; b cut in its side edges, that are. bent upward and inward, so as to overlap said plate B and form guides that confine and direct the reciprocal movements of locking-plates C and D. Locking-plates C and D substantially correspond in construction and operation except that the arrangement of their relative parts is the reverse of one another and except that at the center of length one side edge of one plate C is cut away at a; to reduce the width of the same about one-half the average width of the same, and the other plate I) has its opposite side at y edge cut away to the saine cxtent to correspondingly reduce its width. At the opposing sides of the narrow central portions .fu and z/ of these plates they are bent downward or oiIset to an extent corresponding to a little Inore than the thickness thereof. By bringing these plates together, so that the inner edges of their recessed central portions af and 1/ Contact, and then bringing their broad surfaces flatwise together one half the length of plate C will be above one half of the other plate D and the other half of said plate C will be below the other half of plate D. The forward end corners of each plate are provided with downwardly-extending lugs c and (IZ, respectively. The edge of the plates from which lugs c project is set back from the plane of the forward edge of the plates about the thicl ness of the sensitive plate and its holder, and thc portion of the plate from which they project is below the portion of the other plate from which the lug (Z thereof projects. New

it will be observed that when said lockingplates are moved outward and the sides of the case in opposite directions lugs CZ will move away from each other and become separated farther apart, while lugs c will simultaneously move inward toward each other. 1t is this action upon which wc depend to hold and release the forwardmost sensitive plate and hold thc next plate when it arrives at or is approaching the focal point of the camera. rlhe locking-plates are normally kept in the position in which lugs (l are nearest together, as shown in Fig'. l of the drawings, by means of a longitudinally-arranged coil-contraction spring E, oneI end of which is secured to a lug or hook attached to and arising from plate C and thc other end in a similar manner to plate D. The ends of the locking-plates extend beyond the ends of the supporting-plate B, and the inward movement of lug CZ is stopped by impinging against the end edges of said supporting-plate. In their normal positions lugs 4 CZ project down below thc ceiling' of the camera-case and set out from the side walls thereof, so as to be 1n the path of the upper corners of the sensltive plate or holder thereof and 1ntercept the plate at the focal point in a transverse plane at a perfect right angle to the rays of light admitted through the lens in such manner that said plate can not wabble. As the locking-plates are moved outward lugs d withdraw from in front of the upper corners of said sensitive plate or its holder into recesses a in the side walls of the camera-case and simultancousl y release both sides of the same, thereby permitting the pressure which is commonly employed in magazine-cameras to push the uneXposed plates forward into position for exposure to cause the said forwardmost plate to fall forward out of the way. At the same time lugs CZ recede fromV in front of the forwardmost sensitive plate lugs c simultaneousl y advance from out of recesses a and their advancing knife-edges enter between the said forwardmost plate or plate -holder and the next following one and when said forwardmost plate is released are in position to retain in position the next following plate -holder. Then lugs Z return to their normal positions, the lugs c recede into recess c and permit the pressure back of it to move the neXt plateholder into focal position against lugs (Z.

The locking-plates areactuated by means of a linger grasp F, which projects slightly above the top of the camera and has a short spindle which is journaled in a countersunk shield a. rPhelower end of this spindle terminates above plate C and has a diskf secured thereon, and this disk has radially-elongated slots g g in its periphery, up through which the studs (ur and H project. Stud Gr is secured to and arises from lockingplate C, and stud H is secured to the portion of plate D under plate C and passes up through a longitudinal slot /L therein. lVhen the finger-grasp is turned, the locking-plates move longitudinally away from each other. Then the same is released, spring E automatically returns them to their original positions.

That we claim as new isl. Plate releasing devices for magazinecameras comprising two automatically-retu rnable reciprocal plates having downwardly-projecting lugs on their ends in the same longitudinal plane which are adapted to move in opposite directions and alternately carry said lugs inward toward each other and then outward.

2. Plate releasing' devices for magazinecameras comprising two simultaneously-operated automatically returnable reciprocal plates ha'ving downwardly-projecting lugs on their ends in the same longitudinal plane which are adapted to move in opposite directions and alternately carry said lugs inward toward each other and then outward.

3. Plate releasing devices for magazinecameras comprising two reciprocal plates cach having a downward]y-projecting lug at each end; two of said longitiulinally-alining lugs located at opposite ends of said plates being further advanced than the alining lugs at the. other end of each of said plates, which latter are adapted to move in opposite directions and carry the more advanced lugs toward each other and the other farther apart, or vice versa.

4. Plate-releasing devices for magazinecameras comprising two automaticallyreturnable reciprocal plates each having a downwardly-projecting lug at each end, two of said longitudinally-alining lugs located at opposite ends of said. plates being' farther advanced than the alining lugs at the other end of each of said plates which latter are adapted to move in opposite directions and carry the more advanced lugs toward each other and the other lugs farther apart, or vice versa.

5. Plate-releasing devices for magazinecameras comprising two simultaneously-operated reciprocal plates each having a downwardly-projecting lug at each end; two of said longitudinally-alining lugs located at opposite ends of said plates being farther advanced than the alining lugs at the other end of each of said plates which latter are adapted and carry the more advanced lugs toward each other and the other lugs farther apart, or vice versa.

. G. Plate-releasing devices for magazinecameras comprising two simultaneously-operated automatically-returnable reciprocal plates each having a downwardly-projecting lug at each end; two of said longitudinallyalining lugs located at opposite ends of said plates being' farther advanced than the alining lugs at the other end'of each of said plates, which latter are adapted to move in opposite directions and carry the more advanced lugs toward cach other and the other lugs farther apart, or vice versa.

I'IO

7. Plate-releasing devices for magazinecameras comprising two reciprocal plates having downwardly-projecting lugs on their ends in the same longitudinal plane, and having their central portions cut away on opposite sides, and oii'setin a vertical plane and brought together so the narrow central part of the one enters the cut-away central portion of the other and one half the length of one plate will overlap one half of the other plate, and its other half come under the same.

8. Plate-releasing devices for magazinecameras comprising two automatically-returnable reciprocal plates having downwardlyprojecting' lugs on their ends in the same longitudinal plane, and having their central portions cut away on opposite sides, and offset in a vertical plane and brought together so the narrow central part of the one enters the cutaway central portion of the other, and one half the length of one plate will overlap one halt` of the other plate, and its other haltI come under the same.

9. Plate-releasing devices for magazinecameras comprising two simultaneously-operated reciprocal plates having downwardlyprojecting lugs on their ends in the same longitudinal plane, and having their central portions cut away on opposite sides, and oifset in a vertical plane and brought together so the narrow central part of the one enters the cutaway central portion of the other and one half the length or' one plate will overlapone haltl of the other plate, and its other haltl come under the same.

lO. Plate-releasing devices for magazinecameras comprising two simultaneously-operated automaticallyreturnable reciprocal plates having downwardly-projecting lugs on their ends in the same longitudinal plane, and having their central portions cut away on op-` posite sides, and offset in a vertical plane and brought together so the narrow central part of the one enters the cut-away central portion of the other and one half the length of one plate will overlap one half of the other plate, and its other half come under the same.

l1. The combination in plate-releasing devices i'or magazine-cameras comprising two reciprocal plates having downwardly-projeeting lugs on their ends in the same longitudinal plane and having their central portions cut away on opposite sides and offset in a vertical plane and relatively arranged so that the narrow central part of the one enters the cutaway central portion of the other and one half the length or' the one will overlap one half of the other plate and its other half come under said other plate, said plates being provided with studs projecting therefrom in substantially the same transverse plane, substantially as described, oi' a rotary reciprocal disk the axis of which is intermediate said studs and is provided with radial slots up through which said studs extend.

l2. The combination in plate-releasing devices for magazine-cameras comprising two automatieallyreturnable reciprocal plates having downwardly-projecting lugs on their ends in the same longitudinal plane and having their central portions cut away on opposite sides and oset in a vertical plane and relatively arranged so that the narrow central part ot the one enters the cut-away central portion of the other and one half the length of the one will overlap one haltl of the other plate and its other half come under said other plate, said plates being provided with studs projecting therefrom in substantially the same transverse plane, substantially as described, of a rotary reciprocal disk the axis of which is intermediate said studs and is provided with radial slots up through which said studs extend.

JOHN C. FYFE. VICTOR ODQUIST.

litnessesz CHILTON P. WILSON, FRANK D. THoMAsoN. 

